This application claims the priority of German Patent Application Serial No. 201 05 841.3, filed Apr. 3, 2001, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates, in general, to a mounting plate for securement of a furniture fitting, such as a hinge arm to a wall of a piece of furniture.
Typically, a mounting plate involved here includes a stationary bottom plate for attachment to the wall of the piece of furniture and a top plate, which is intended for covering the bottom plate and is provided with throughholes for passage of screw fasteners and an adjustment member by which the top plate can be shifted relative to the stationary bottom plate, when the bottom and top plates are mounted to one another.
Conventional mounting plates are endowed with drawbacks and shortcomings because the top plate rests so firmly against the wall of the piece of furniture that a displacement of the top plate relative to the bottom plate through actuation of the adjustment member is no longer possible, so that a certain loosening is necessary in order to enable a displacement of the top plate and thus an adjustment. Loosening of the securement is, however, risky because it may lead to an uncontrolled shift so that the adjustment depends essentially on the skill of the operator.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved mounting plate which obviates prior art shortcomings and which enables a secure attachment of the top plate relative to a wall of a piece of furniture while still allowing a displacement thereof with the aid of the adjustment member.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a mounting plate for attachment of a furniture fitting such as a hinge arm of a furniture hinge to a wall of a piece of furniture, includes a stationary bottom plate having an end face intended for securement to an attachment surface of the wall; and a top plate configured for placement over the bottom plate and having throughholes for passage of screw fasteners and a throughhole for an adjustment member which is provided to allow displacement of the top plate relative to the bottom plate in a direction of displacement, wherein, as viewed in the direction of displacement, the top plate has a central portion, which is in line with the end face of the bottom plate on the attachment surface, and a marginal area which is slightly set back relative to the attachment surface.
The present invention resolves prior art problems by the configuration of the top plate in this simple way to attain a secure attachment of the top pate to the wall, while still permitting a displacement relative to the bottom plate in opposition to friction forces which are now small enough so as to allow an intended displacement and thus adjustment of the top plate.
According to another feature of the present invention, the top plate has an outer surface which is distal to the abutment surface, wherein the bottom plate may be formed with projecting skirts, which are situated in the area of the throughholes for the screw fasteners and have end faces extending in line with the outer surface of the top plate. In this way, excessive tightening of the top plate with respect to the wall of the piece of furniture is prevented.
According to another feature of the present invention, each screw fastener has a head portion and a pin-like portion which rests upon the bottom plate, when the head portion bears on the outer surface of the top plate. As an alternative or in addition, a washer may be placed between the top plate and the head portion of the screw fastener to compensate a spacing between the bottom plate and the outer surface of the top plate.